Crop harvesting machines, including swathers and combines, generally make use of a crop harvesting header for cutting and gathering the crop to be subsequently i) discharged in a windrow along the ground in the instance of a swather, or ii) separated into grain and chaff in the instance of a combine.
A crop harvesting header generally includes a main frame structure having a length extending generally at right angles to forward movement of the harvester across the ground. Frame members extending forwardly from the main frame structure of the header support a crop receiving table locating a cutter bar across the front end of the table for cutting crop to be deposited onto the table. A backboard extends upwardly from a rear of the table and includes a central discharge opening therein from which gathered cut crop is discharged rearwardly from the header. Side drapers are provided on either side of the central discharge opening to span from the central discharge opening towards opposing ends of the table for conveying cut crop thereon from the respective ends of the header to the central discharge opening.
In certain crop conditions where it is known for cut crop to ride upwardly along the backboard of the header, a cross auger assembly is known to be used in the form of one or more auger sections extending laterally across the header forwardly of the backboard so as to be spaced above the rear end of the side drapers of the table. Although the cross auger is typically provided in close proximity to the front surface of the backboard, in some instances a stripper bar is mounted to project forwardly from the backboard to a forward edge in close proximity to the bottom end of the cross auger assembly to prevent cut crop materials from being pulled upwardly into the gap between the cross auger assembly and the backboard for preventing cut crop materials from being wound about the auger assembly.
Known stripper bar assemblies are generally supported to be oriented substantially horizontally and at right angles to the backboard upon which they are supported. Although this orientation of stripper bar is effective at preventing material from being pulled upwardly behind the cross auger assembly, the perpendicular orientation of the stripper bar relative to the backboard upon which is supported has a tendency to interrupt the upward flow of material into the cross auger and may produce bunching of cut crop material directly below the cross auger assembly.